Odisha HC upholds Shankaracharya’s stand on chariot climbing debate

The Odisha High Court today upheld the views of the Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth and the Puri temple management committee on the issue of devotees climbing the chariots and touching the deities and has asked the state government to ensure their decision is carried out.

This was revealed by senior advocate of the High Court Arun Kumar Buddhia, the counsel for the petitioners who had filed a PIL seeking the court’s intervention into the ongoing debate over whether the Shankaracharya’s views that no devotee should be allowed to mount the chariot, let alone touch the idols, was the final word in the matter or not.

The court observed that the state government can not interfere with or override the authority of the temple committee in matters relating to the functioning of the temple or its practices.

The Sri Jagannath Temple Administration has also agreed to go by the verdict of the Puri seer.

The written order of the court would follow soon, advocate Buddhia said.